Prime minister Boris Johnson has been urged to act in the national interest and honour pledges to rebuild and boost transport infrastructure across the regions.
Chief Executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Alasdair Reisner said: ‘promises of investment were made during the election campaign that must now be honoured, if we are to secure economic growth after we leave the European Union next month'.
‘Mr Johnson should use his first 100 days to turbo-charge the infrastructure sector by committing to schemes that have been delayed by the election or have had doubt thrown on their future,' he said.
'Subject to the findings of the Oakervee review, we would like to see the new Government make a firm commitment to HS2 and progress this transformative project towards delivery.
'We also need to prioritise the progression of the next roads investment strategy, deliver Heathrow expansion, and make investments in our rail, water, and energy networks.
‘We look forward to working with the new Government so that our members can deliver the infrastructure schemes that will be the backbone of delivering growth in the post-Brexit economy across England, Scotland and Wales.'
Regions and rural
Focusing on the prime minister's own 'one nation' message, regional and rural leaders adopted a one nation infrastructure approach.
Transport for the North’s chief executive Barry White said: 'The North has – rightly – been a key battle ground in this election, with pledges made on improving our transport and creating opportunities. Now is the time to advance that Northern agenda in the national interest. The Prime Minister must now deliver.
'We’ve been encouraged by promises to fully commit to Northern Powerhouse Rail, and invest in our strategic and local roads. That, and tackling the challenge of making our networks greener and more inclusive, will be critical in the coming months and years.'
'There are big decisions ahead that will change the fabric of the North – not least how our railways are run and delivery of HS2. We stand ready, on behalf of the North, to work with Boris Johnson and the new Government to ensure the much-needed investment is delivered to help rebalance the UK economy.'
And in the rural heartlands of the country, Cllr David Williams, chairman of the County Councils Network argued that Boris Johnson’s majority government 'has been elected on a domestic pledge to ‘level-up’ the ‘left-behind’ parts of the country'.
'We must not forget that many of those areas are located within counties, from deprived rural and coastal communities, to former manufacturing hotbeds, to places where young people leave to go to university and never return. The left-behind nature of many of these places are partly a product of resource and policy being overly London centric and city focused.'
He called for further devolution to give county councils 'the same powers and levers afforded to urban metro mayors' and welcomed the Government’s pledge for extra funding for roads.
Going local
Also on the localism theme, the chief executive of local government think-tank, Jonathan Carr-West, said: 'Local authority finances are in a dire state after a decade of cuts with councils up and down the country struggling to keep basic statutory services going.
'Councils are currently left in limbo with no clear indication as to how they will be funded from the end of next year and no certainty as to when a financial settlement for the year ahead will be confirmed.
'The new UK government needs to address the unfinished business of localism for a new decade. Sustainable reform of local government finances should be at the top of their agenda.'
The Royal Town Planning Institute also highlighted that 'over the past decade, local authority planning teams have seen a reduction of 42% in funding, a situation which must now be urgently addressed to enable us to meet the challenges ahead'.
It urged the new government to invest in the 'much needed infrastructure to unlock the potential to deliver the communities that people want to live in'.
Active travel
The sustainable transport community have less reason to celebrate the result, as unlike other main parties, the Conservatives have not plaved a great emphasis on greening transport.
Cycling UK chief executive, Paul Tuohy said: ''The Conservatives in their manifesto have promised to spend just £70m a year on cycling infrastructure, opening up a chasm between what has been promised and what is actually needed.
'Former Transport Minister Jesse Norman conceded that funding would have to be at least doubled to meet the Government’s current target to double cycling trips by 2025, but from next April there is absolutely zero money earmarked for local authorities for cycling and walking infrastructure.
'The Conservative manifesto commitment would see the current £7 per head current being spent on walking and cycling in England, outside of London to just £1.55 per head. This would be an abject failure by this incoming government to address the climate, air pollution, congestion and inactivity-related health crises the country is now facing.'
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